A CHRONOLOGY OF EDWARDS’ LIFE AND WRITINGS Compiled by Kenneth P. Minkema This chronology of Edwards's life and times is based on the dating of his early writings established by Thomas A. Schafer, Wallace E. Anderson, and Wilson H. Kimnach, supplemented by volume introductions in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, by primary sources dating from Edwards' lifetime, and by secondary materials such as biographies. Attributed dates for literary productions indicate the earliest or approximate points at which Edwards probably started them. "Miscellanies" entries are listed approximately in numerical groupings by year rather than chronologically; for more exact dating and order, readers should consult relevant volumes in the Edwards Works. Entries not preceded by a month indicates that the event in question occurred sometime during the calendar year under which it listed. Lack of a pronoun in a chronology entry indicates that it regards Edwards. 1703 October 5: born at East Windsor, Connecticut 1710 January 9: Sarah Pierpont born at New Haven, Connecticut 1711 August-September: Father Timothy serves as chaplain in Queen Anne's War; returns home early due to illness 1712 March-May: Awakening at East Windsor; builds prayer booth in swamp 1714 August: Queen Anne dies; King George I crowned November 22: Rev. James Pierpont, Sarah Pierpont's father, dies 1716 September: begins undergraduate studies at Connecticut Collegiate School, Wethersfield 2 1718 February 17: travels from East Windsor to Wethersfield following school “vacancy” October: moves to New Haven to continue studies in newly built Yale College, but shortly returns to Wethersfield upon dissatisfaction with tutor Samuel Johnson November: returns to New Haven after being in East Windsor 1719 June 24: returns to New Haven from East Windsor after Johnson's departure Writes "Of Insects" Suffers bout of pleurisy during last year of college 1720 May: completes baccalaureate degree September: delivers Valedictory Oration October 3: begins graduate studies at New Haven 1721 Summer: conversion experience at East Windsor Writes "Of the Rainbow," "Of Light Rays" Begins "Natural Philosophy," "Of Atoms," "Of Being," "Prejudices of the Imagination" 1722 May: completes graduate studies June: Father Râle's (or Graylock's) War begins June 14: returns home from New Haven August 2: leaves East Windsor for New Haven en route to New York City August 10: arrives at New York City to begin preaching to English Presbyterian congregation September: Yale College Rector Timothy Cutler and tutors make public their conversion to Church of England Begins "Resolutions," "Diary," "Catalogue of Books," and "Miscellanies" 3 1723 March 15: Rev. Samuel Pierpont, Sarah Pierpont's brother, drowns in Connecticut River April: New York City pastorate ends May 1: returns to East Windsor May 18: returns to East Windsor after a week's journey to Norwich, Connecticut, and "towns thereabouts" June 8-9: at Boston June 15: back in East Windsor June 23: at Boston June 25: back in East Windsor July-August: prepares Master's Quaestio September: delivers Quaestio at New Haven, receives M.A.; begins "The Mind" October: writes "Spider Letter," begins "Notes on the Apocalypse" November 11: agrees to settle as pastor of Bolton, Connecticut Writes "Apostrophe to Sarah Pierpont" "Miscellanies" aa-94 1724 January: begins "Notes on Scripture" May 21: elected tutor at Yale College, leaves Bolton before end of May First week of June: journeys to New Haven to begin tutorship "Miscellanies" 94-146 1725 May: begins "Beauty of the World" Summer: at East Windsor September-December: illness, convalesces at North Haven and East Windsor December 15: Father Râle's (or Graylock's) War ends December: begins "Table to the Miscellanies," "Christ's Example" 4 "Miscellanies" 152-195 1726 April-July: preaches intermittently at Glastonbury, Connecticut Mid-summer: returns to New Haven August 29: asked by Northampton church to assist Solomon Stoddard September: resigns tutorship October 26: begins preaching as probationer at Northampton November 21: Northampton votes to give £100 salary, £300 to build house, and 50 acres of land "Miscellanies" 196-237, 261-262, 267-274, 313-314 1727 February 15: ordained at Northampton as assistant pastor July 28: marries Sarah Pierpont in New Haven August: King George I dies; King George II crowned October 29: earthquake in evening "Miscellanies" 238-55, 279-305, 315-317 1728 January: begins "Faith" August: begins "Images of Divine Things," "Signs of Godliness" August 25: daughter Sarah born "Miscellanies" 256-260, 265-266, 275-278, 306-310, 318-384 1729 February 11: Solomon Stoddard dies; Edwards becomes senior pastor Feb. 13: funeral for Stoddard, with William Williams preaching April-May: illness, travels to New Haven June: suffers physical collapse July: resumes preaching August-early September: people of Northampton build Edwards a "Good Large Barn" December 22: sister Jerusha dies of "malignant fever" "Miscellanies" 385-454 5 1730 January: begins "Discourse on the Trinity" April 26: daughter Jerusha born October: first entries in "Blank Bible" "Miscellanies" 455-487 1731 January: "Miscellanies" beginning at no. 488 March: Hannah Graves names Northampton church member Eleazar King the father of her child; King is fined; they marry in October May 7: purchases "Negro girl named Venus" for £80 in Newport, R.I. July 8: preaches Boston lecture, later published as God Glorified in the Work of Redemption First Wednesday in October: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Westfield Salary increased to £140 1732 February 13: daughter Esther born April 11: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Hatfield September 5: earthquake at noon October 3: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Springfield Salary increased to £200 1733 January: "Miscellanies" 612 April 11: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Hadley June: preaches in Boston October 9: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Springfield December: preaches at East Windsor "Miscellanies" beginning at no. 625 1734 January 19: Ebenezer Hunt's hatshop burns January: journeys to Boston, accompanied by Deacon Allen's son April 7: daughter Mary born 6 April 16: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Sunderland August: preaches A Divine and Supernatural Light, thereafter published October 8: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Suffield November: "Miscellanies" 668 December: Connecticut Valley revivals begin 1735 March 24: in Boston to deliver public lecture; visits Timothy Cutler March 25: Thomas Stebbins unsuccessfully attempts suicide by cutting his throat April 8: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Springfield June 1: Joseph Hawley, Sr., commits suicide by slitting his throat August: joins opposition to Robert Breck's ordination at Springfield Late August: treaty with Indians signed at Deerfield establishing mission at Stockbridge September-October: travels to New York City, New Jersey, and Long Island to improve health November: vote passed to build new meetinghouse 1736 January: Bernard Bartlett is whipped and fined for slandering Edwards; Robert Breck is ordained at Springfield February: preaches at Springfield February 10: Grandmother Esther Warham Mather Stoddard dies March 16: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Deerfield January 26: salary £200 plus improvement of half of sequestered lands August: several members of Edwards family at Windsor afflicted with distemper, as well as Sarah Pierpont Edwards; "Miscellanies" 698 August 21: sister Lucy dies of "throat distemper" August 31: daughter Lucy born 7 September 16-27: new meetinghouse raised October 12: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Enfield November 6: completes short account of late revivals, published as appendix to William Williams' Duty and Interest of a People November 17: preaches ordination at Lambstown Fall-winter: Joseph Bellamy comes to study with Edwards 1737 January: Preaches in Portsmouth, N.H. February 11: salary £300 plus use of half of sequestered land February: preaches at Springfield March 13: Northampton meetinghouse gallery falls March 21: visits Rev. Stephen Williams at Longmeadow to confer about printing reply regarding Breck controversy April 26: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Northampton Late June-early July: preaches at Portsmouth, N.H. July 11: visits Longmeadow July 21: spire raised on new meetinghouse August 23: in Springfield October 8: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Hatfield October: visits New Haven November: visits William Diodate at New Haven December 7: earthquake at 11 p.m. December 25: new meetinghouse dedicated Publishes A Letter to the Author of the Pamphlet Called An Answer to the Hampshire Narrative (co-authored with brother-in-law Samuel Hopkins of West Springfield) A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God published in London 8 1738 January 26: voted salary of £250 plus improvement of half of sequestered land March: Northampton votes to build a town house for precinct and court sessions (completed 1739) April 18: attends Hampshire Association meeting at Longmeadow April-October: preaches Charity and Its Fruits (published 1852) May 5: old meetinghouse pulled down May: Sarah Pierpont Edwards goes to Boston, stays at Benjamin Colman's July: Mrs. Bridgman admonished for drunkenness July 25: son Timothy born September 15-16: in New Haven to attend Yale commencement; dines at Rev. Joseph Noyes' on 15th, visits college library on 16th September 19: Ebenezer Hunt's Northampton hatshop burglarized by Samuel West, who